Hanover Summer Theater Program brings new opportunities for local youths

Thursday

Aug 14, 2014 at 1:39 AMAug 14, 2014 at 1:44 AM

By Erin Tiernan

The Hanover’s Summer Theater Program is back with a bang this summer. For its inaugural performance, director Janet Fortier chose “High School Musical.”

The play, which takes a modern-day approach to the story of Romeo and Juliet (sans death scenes), was an appropriate choice. Both the show and the newly revived Hanover Summer Theater Program are breathing new life into old stories.

Fortier, a Hanover native, spent her childhood summers on stage with her peers at a similar theater program. After moving back into town with her family, Fortier has been on a mission to bring drama back into the community.

“The schools have been so supportive and we were able to offer three productions for three of the schools this school year,” Fortier said. “I have been talking for a couple of years to bring back the Summer Theater Program and this year with the help of the Office of Enrichment, it all came together.”

From sports, to academics Fortier said Hanover offers a lot of summer programs, but she noticed the gap in drama and she wanted to bring the same opportunities that she had as a child to the next generation of Hanover children.

“It was a place where I made wonderful new friends, I had the opportunity to be creative and take on different characters that I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to be,” Fortier said.

For 10-year-old Benjamin Manning, theater has already given him a lot of opportunities. He will be playing Troy, one of the main characters in “High School Musical.”

“I was shocked, I didn’t think it could happen,” Manning said.

He said he loves working with the summer program cast – which includes students from grades four through high school.

“And I get to become a character in a movie that I have watched, like, a lot,” Manning said.

Although he is still struggling to remember some of his lines, he said he was working hard with the rest of the cast to prepare for opening day.

Fortier hopes the program will open doors for children by allowing them to pursue their passions, a theme that is also central to the plot of “High School Musical.”

From the summer program to the play, Fortier said the message is the same: “It’s really about being all you can be,” Fortier said. “There are many layers to all of us and it teaches us to reach out to all the things that are important to us.”

“High School Musical” hits the stage at Hanover High School auditorium, 287 Cedar St., on Friday at 7 p.m. and will return for a second performance on Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and will be available at the door.

For more information, contact the Office of Family and Community Engagement at 781-826-3574.